Michigan film production company recognized for excellence

LANSING, Mich. – March 12, 2018 The competition among ‘Official Selections’ and awards’ nominees at the world’s largest ‘Family/Faith’ genre film festival, the International Christian Film Festival (ICFF, Orlando, Fla.), is keen.

And every once in a great while, films by the same company are put in the unique situation of going up against one another. The same holds true, at times, for actors, directors and writers.

But what a prestigious position it is for artists, and those who support their work at many levels, to find themselves in.

One of Michigan’s most prolific and highly respected film production companies, Lansing-based Collective Development Inc., continues to move the independent bar to new heights with nine (9) combined nominations for it’s latest feature-length releases, ‘Chasing the Star’ and ‘Wild Faith,’ whose ‘World Premiere’ theatrical screening takes place Friday at Celebration Cinemas in Lansing and Grand Rapids. The start of a weeklong run.

The awards’ nominations come on the heels of CDI’s win last year at the ICFF for ‘Forty Nights,’ the first film in ‘The Quest Trilogy,’ which chronicles Jesus’ (DJ Perry) 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. ‘Forty Nights’ (also written by Mr. Perry) earned ‘Most Inspirational Feature Film honors.’ The late Rance Howard was nominated for ‘Best Lead Actor,’ while composer Dennis Therrian earned ‘Best Music Score’ consideration and the film was nominated for ‘Best Film.’

‘Chasing the Star,’ CDI’s second installment in ‘The Quest Trilogy’ (the final piece of the trilogy, ‘The Christ Slayer,’ is in post-production), telling the story of the ‘Three Magi’ and their perilous journey to Bethlehem, garnered five nominations in several categories.

‘Chasing the Star,’ directed by Brett Miller and distributed by Bridgestone Multimedia Group, is available now on Amazon Prime and other streaming services.

‘Wild Faith,’ CDI’s circa 1870s action-drama-adventure tale, which takes place in and around the rugged, wooded, yet beautiful mid-Michigan town of Hastings, earned four nominations.

In addition to ‘Best Film,’ Jesse Low (who also directed ‘Forty Nights’ and is based in Lansing) was nominated for ‘Best Director’ and the film’s two lead actors, Shane Hagedorn (as Emmett Murphy) and Lauren LaStrada (Haddie) are nominees in the ‘Best Lead Actor’ and ‘Best Lead Actress’ categories.

‘Wild Faith’ is story that is as timely today as it was 150 years ago. In the late 1800’s, a Civil War veteran is compelled to protect his interracial family despite the efforts of his unforgiving neighbors. But the arrival of a traveling circus train incites the most unlikely set of events that will push everyone to the limits.

As are all of the competition groups in the ICFF, considered the ‘Oscars’ of the ‘Family-Faith’ genre films with thousands of entries annually and covering many categories – including Features, Shorts, Animated, Music Videos, TV Shows, Screenplays and Student Films – ‘Best Lead Actor’ and ‘Best Lead Actress’ puts Mr. Hagedorn (of Lansing, in his first starring role), Mr. Nations and Ms. LaStrada (of Detroit) in the mix with some very well-known artists. Ray Liotta (best known for ‘Goodfellas’) and Judge Reinhold (of the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise) are nominated, as is Ashley Judd (‘Kiss the Girls,’ ‘Divergent,’ ‘A Time to Kill’).

The ICFF is the only festival which has a screening in France, at the annual and world-famous Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera.

“CDI’s success is built upon teams of artists properly managed and motivated to tell meaningful stories. As a company we’re just coming into our own – nothing happened overnight. It will be exciting to see where we grow from here” – DJ Perry, CEO Collective Development Inc.